R5bn of taxpayers' money 'missing'

2012-08-02 09:28

Cape Town - A shocking report, tabled in Parliament on Friday, shows that more than R5bn of taxpayers’ money has been lost due to looting, tender fraud and irregular spending in government departments.

The Special Investigating Unit was now investigating the matter and said it was intending bringing criminal charges against culprits, reported The Times.

More than R2bn was spent on tenders and irregular spending at provincial level, while R700m of “questionable spending” was done by national state departments.

The rotten apples appear to be the department of rural development and land reform, as well as public works and human settlements.

The report said about R500m disappeared into 36 fraudulent land grants at the department of land reform.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the misspending so far and three farms, valued at R51m have been returned to the department following questionable land deals.

So far 12 officials face disciplinary action and three had been suspended.

Comments

Gavin - 2012-08-02 09:35

on my drive in to work this morning I was actually wondering just how much money had been looted from the states coffers since the ANarChy party had taken control.
All this BS about redressing the evils of apartheid was just a sham, all they wanted was the keys to the safe.
The cANCer has no pride/shame/soul/spine/guts/integrity/honor. Here we are, 18 years later, and we still read articles in the news every f'ing day about about ANC scum robbing us blind, either directly or indirectly.
All I can say is - may you live in interesting times.

sarah.bouttell - 2012-08-02 09:44

Oh, the houses we could have built and the children we could have fed and educated with this amount. I weep for the people of our country.

marnusmnorval - 2012-08-02 10:03

i dont know why they say shocking.. we all knew its gona happen sooner or later

Don.Tandy - 2012-08-02 10:20

Anarchy Nepotism Corruption - business as usual.

Stirrer - 2012-08-02 10:36

Actually, I thought it would be much more than 5 billion. Shows you, they cannot even do crime right.

ian.flack2 - 2012-08-02 10:48

@sarah.... Oh well, more uneducated voting fodder for future elections that the governing party can mislead?????

stampalex - 2012-08-02 12:09

If you ever wondered if a country could be raped... Well guess what? YOu're living in one. Run by a bunch of criminals and ruled by a majority that seems to neither care or understand the degree to which they are being reamed by their own leaders. It reads like a bad movie script. If I were an ANC supporter, I would hang my head in shame - but then again, I actually care about my country, I am driven by a conscience and I get what honour and integrity actually mean - Kind of disqualifies me from the ANC. Shameful - and fills me with disgust.

rontheogre - 2012-08-02 19:54

An estimate circulated in parliament during 2010 was pegged at between R600-800 BILLION! Then add the R24 Billion of last year and the present R5 Billion gives you a minimum rough estimate of R629 Billion. That equates to 10,48 Million low cost houses or 41 933 Toyota Prado SUV's,
3 145 hospitals @ R200 million each,
could create 12,5 Million jobs at R50 000 a job,
or buy 1034 Gripen Jet Fighters with full ground backup.

tasmee.hylkema - 2012-08-02 20:33

Sarah, I on the contrary feel no pity for the poor whatsoever. They deserve the government they vote for....time and time again!!

Revelgen - 2014-10-16 12:23

'Intending to bring criminal charges'....yeah, right!! How can the ANC ever do that with No.1 as lead criminal?

REALLY ????? I would never have guessed !!!!!
This confirms that we have one of the most corrupt governments in the world. This sort of corruption should be treated as treason, and the perpetrators sentenced to life imprisonment WITH HARD LABOUR.
Please voters, take note, and help us get rid of the ANC at the next elections so we can still try and save this country.

odupreez - 2012-08-02 09:46

The majority can not read this.

pravda.che - 2012-08-02 10:52

i totally disagree with you.
we should do what the chinese do.
shoot the basterds, and then let the family pay for the bullet.
one bright spark said on the radio this morning that the death penalty is against human rights.
so is the theft of the blood spilled by the same people you spilt it.
how can you claim human rights when you steal from the very people who you are supposed to uplift.
the old british constitution used have a clause, that said only taxpayers have a right to vote. so if everybody pays taxes, no matter from what (ie grants etc.),then they will vote with thier pockets and not with thier emotions.

sam.ntshangase - 2012-08-02 21:19

yes for sure but not DA either UDM/COPE/NFP is an alternative

maylani.bezuidenhout - 2012-08-02 09:36

Well every government employee will have to take a percentage paycut till its paid back. Let's see how quickly they start blowing the whistle on each other when their perks are affected. So tired of this thieving scum.. from the nurses who steal baby formula for their tea and hospital bedding right up to our President who's just raking it in as fast as he can before they kick him out.

bob.mcmillen.564 - 2012-08-02 10:00

I like that idea maylani, and once they hace paid it all back they must clean their desks and move OUT.

press.enter.12 - 2012-08-02 10:47

Excellent idea - but I think the buck stops with the ANC "in control" - anyone with an idea on how to persue this matter through the courts ?

david.d.pape - 2012-08-02 12:53

Fully agree with you Maylani. The problem is that if they get caught, they only spend a few hours in jail and then they are out because they are "deathly ill" and about to kick the bucket - Shabir Shaik is a huge example. Absolutely NOTHING wrong with him at all and he was on deaths door, now Selebi - what a crock of rubbish. If it was you or me, they would throw us in jail and then throw away the key.

trish.sclandersseago - 2012-10-17 20:57

@david.d.pape, contact avaaz.org they'll run an international petition to expose this Government to the world. They have 4 million members worldwide who'll force these thieving sods into a corner...they will not be able to hide anymore!

jake.neumann.35 - 2012-08-02 09:39

R 5 billion that could have gone to paying for the Gauteng Freeway Project and all the more reason to fight tolls to the bitter end.

maylani.bezuidenhout - 2012-08-02 09:42

Also enough to overhaul our failing education department and put everyone on the road to a better standard of living.

No, they'll get a talking to by Zuma followed by a brief period of confusion, followed by transferring them to different government departments to continue their reign of corruption. It’s because no one ever gets fired from government that the corruption isn’t going anywhere… it just gets reshuffled & made someone else’s problem!

Brad - 2012-08-02 09:41

If they can recover the missing R5bn that would cover 25% of the e-toll bill . CASH!!!Well done anc, another shinig example of your abilty to run a country.

ally.oh.7 - 2012-08-02 12:10

yes, run the country into the ground!

raath - 2012-08-02 09:41

Combine that with the R14bn the government gave to the World Bank(?) the other day, and voila! You have R21bn - just enough to cover SANRAL's debt.

andre.mostert - 2012-08-02 09:41

SARS what’s up with this you quick to go after the tax payer but not the spender “Parliament”. I hate paying tax I don’t see my money being spend the way it should I’m paying for FAT Julius to have a holiday!! WTF and there is no money to pay for roads or painting the roads. You can pay out of your own pocket my money is finished sorry

odupreez - 2012-08-02 09:45

Is that all, I thought the amount would be much higher, but getting something back into the coffers eventually (?), is probably better than nothing.

sarah.bouttell - 2012-08-02 09:45

Oh, the houses we could have built and the children we could have fed and educated with this amount. I weep for the people of our country.

phumi.tshabalala.35 - 2012-08-02 09:47

*yawn*... And in other news...

andreviljoenjoubert - 2012-08-02 11:02

I sure as Hell hope that was sarcasm phumi.
Or SA future is surely screwed.

harley.quin.334 - 2012-08-02 11:07

And in other news today it was reported that Phumi Tshabalal's one remaining Brain cell has died of loneliness

mantothieve.missingman - 2012-08-02 11:12

You must be have won a few tenders hey , Driving a SLS and staying in braynston , while only having std 3 ?

Watkykj - 2012-08-02 11:54

People do not take note of this troll. It's Obvious its doing it for reactions, because scientists hve notv yet discovered something as stupid as this if its not a joke.

nigel.vanysendyk - 2012-08-02 11:55

you Phumi is EXACTLY what is wrong with many blacks in SA, you dont give a F**CK about this gross corruption, as long as you are in on the deal, you make me sick !!!!!

denis.dendrinos - 2012-08-02 12:03

oh we're terribly sorry Phumi - we silly people forget that we don't live in a democracy where the governments job is to "run" the country - to provide services and economic growth......
To provide services and use tax money to pay for these. To establish new and maintain current infrastructure.....
No - lol - silly us - we live under an african mentality monarch - where leaders do as they will and the people adore them for it......
Where big mighty zulu "King" Zuma will collect his maidens and build his modern kraal in Natal and those who tell him he is wonderful will benefit.
too bad you and so so many other people see it this way......

Tinkerbell169 - 2012-08-02 14:27

No wonder she is bored and uncaring. If i had a face like that and was in sales I too would be as miserable as hell.

lizanne.fivaz - 2012-08-03 09:04

Wonder who you voted for.

gavin.lott.9 - 2012-08-02 09:47

With so much poverty this is just disgusting!...fat f***ken PIGS!!

maylani.bezuidenhout - 2012-08-02 11:10

Have you had a look at the lot that roll out of parliament? Find me one skinny MP... They are all mafutas. All the little piggies jostling for their place at the trough ne?

darren.king.58118 - 2012-08-02 09:48

…and the pop hols will still vote ANC

derrico.heus - 2012-08-02 09:49

The anc are a complete failure. To make things worse they are parasites slowly killing this country. The sooner these badly educated tree dwellers go back to their cattle, the better it will be for this country.

patson.nedzamba - 2012-08-02 09:49

Get the b*tches and son of b*tches and make them pay every cent they stole. Morons!!!

Tawizee - 2012-08-02 09:51

What actually makes me mad is that I don't pay tax. They take tax!

Tawizee - 2012-08-02 10:37

Good idea @Maylani. That will go a long way in helping unfortunate ones. But forget about them giving you a job! You're not a Comrade lol.

maylani.bezuidenhout - 2012-08-02 11:20

I'm going to be like Zorro - no one will know my race or my face... Appear in the night with a box of groceries or some textbooks! :)

devon.riley.52 - 2012-08-02 09:53

Then they wonder why land reform isn't working. All the money meant for it is stolen!!!!

low.ross - 2012-08-02 09:54

No way, not R5bn. More like R10bn. Every government a&&hole only looking after him/herself. Wake up you ANC voters, they feel nothing for you.

jack.oosthuysen - 2012-08-02 09:55

The sad part of this is that most illiterates can not comprehend how much this is. I suggest the opposition parties produce a photo of this pile of money and mass distribute it in the appropriate areas, so they can see.

gavin.lott.9 - 2012-08-02 10:02

We'd have to break into Luthuli House to get that pic!

wesley.bischoff - 2012-08-02 11:19

Maybe this would help put it into perspective :)
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s480x480/268298_10150980061558111_1376046623_n.jpg

dawid.gericke.7 - 2012-08-02 09:55

Could have paid off the roads with this. Then e-tolling would nevre have existed in the first place.

Ordinaryworker - 2012-08-02 09:55

What steps can I take to stop paying personal tax on my income, without being sued for withholding taxes?

Bless Boswell - 2012-08-02 10:14

Find someone clever to do your tax return. Don't with hold tax, that is against the law, but find ways to save yourself from paying taxes. It's perfectly legal and they can do nothing about it. Remember they break the law because of their stranglehold and they have no conscience - you do not have the same privileges.

Ordinaryworker - 2012-08-02 10:45

@bless. I see it like this. If enough people, say for instance 10 000, just withhold taxes, by placing it in a trust. Use the interest on that money to employ a advocate to keep the monies secured, until government agrees to stop wasting it, that such a "movement" would grow bigger very fast. Will this work?

donald.perumal - 2012-08-02 11:00

The idea is NOT to break the law because that is what you want to highlight!You need to start making people aware of this abuse of taxes.Get your friends,workmates,family to protest by staging short demostrations during lunch or after work.It will be a blast!Before long we will turn this maDNESS AROUND!

kent.paulsen.79 - 2012-08-02 13:05

If you are an, Ordinary Worker, and work for a company like most of us then nothing can be done to withhold taxes as your employer would be in breach of the law and your employer would not go that route for your benefit.

anton.coetzee.37 - 2012-08-02 17:21

ORDINARYWORKER MY FRIEND BE BLACK AND CORRUPT THATS YOUR ANSWER!

deon.rossouw.56 - 2012-08-02 09:56

Ask Malema

gpitse - 2012-08-02 09:57

Get rich quick scheme(pyramids) or government? Why wait up until 5Bn gone , now that someone didn't get his share, he probed investigations with eligible paroles and suspensions just to get the it off the poll,and you still want to vote for these clowns????

nicolas.gombert.16 - 2012-08-02 09:58

The article highlights fraud and irregular expenditure. Add to this the endemic inefficiency and the amount could be hundred times more.
Remember the auditor will just check whether the procedures were properly followed, they will not comment on whether the money was actually spent on something useful.

ramohapelwa.berries - 2012-08-02 09:59

Billions? Money's \always\ too tight to mention. But it makes the world go round \though\!

richard.hipkin - 2012-08-02 09:59

Silence from our dear racist ANC members?

BulletProof. - 2012-08-02 18:27

No, they get quite but still giving us tumbs down behind they anonimonity.

mengelbrecht1 - 2012-08-02 10:01

And we get told to be honest when paying our taxes, while these criminals in charge loot the coffers. What a joke our ruling party is!!!

Mduduzi Mboma - 2012-08-02 10:01

But they just can't give government employees what they deserve!!!

pmbadenhorst - 2012-08-02 10:01

WHY MUST I BE HONEST ON MY TAX RETURN?! WTF

tammy.bithell.1 - 2012-08-02 10:02

NO THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I DONT BOTHER SUBMITTING TAX EVERY YEAR

mike.bundy.73 - 2012-08-02 23:47

If you break the law and rob us taxpayers then you can't really complain about others, can you?

amos.magezi - 2012-08-02 10:05

Our country is being governed by corrupt officials. I've never heard that government overspent the budget in service delivery. Now is almost 18yrs but we a still struggling to get a basic services.

gavin.lott.9 - 2012-08-02 10:22

Yet your profile is ANC?...dude...

shaylene.stenger - 2012-08-02 10:23

but yet you still support them by the looks of your profile pic. wake up brother things are not going to get better with them in power....

luke.dekoker - 2012-08-02 10:42

amos show the other anc voters you mean business and change your profile picture, if you want to keep it then place a RED "X" over it

mantothieve.missingman - 2012-08-02 10:44

You get what you vote for , enjoy your shack !!

nigel.vanysendyk - 2012-08-02 11:21

Wake up and stop supporting these corrupt thieves, if its not fat cat politicians buying fancy cars & building roads & walls around their mansions, its the ANCYL & Cosatu destroying property, investment & jobs with their stupid rhetoric & intolerance, either way its the ANC, they WILL F***K this country up, I promise you, I promise you, so the question is.... how long will the black people of SA continue to ignore (support) this kind of behavior, are you going to be like the ZImbabweans & sit by & watch the "rulers" enrich themselves while the country collapses, Wake up people, we are already 1/2 way down that road, if you dont act soon you will be a real refugee before you know it.

TshilidziPhuravhathu - 2012-08-02 10:05

R5bn of taxpayers' money 'missing'? Psssh! please I think we all know where it went by now....

dianne.neyt - 2012-08-02 10:06

Filthy thieving bastards. All they do is line their own pockets whilst half the country starves, does not receive proper education, housing, decent medical...shall I continue?

dianne.neyt - 2012-08-02 16:24

Hey thumbs down......do you work for the government and are you one of the gravy train brigade? Or are you just a troll turd?

Crapdetector - 2012-08-02 10:07

Awesome!!! I love the ANC!!! I hope everybody votes for these clowns again. Steal from everybody and give to themselves. Words to live by.

john.fourie.18 - 2012-08-02 10:08

This is just for last month, right?

shaun.hillary - 2012-08-02 10:09

Nothing will be done about this. I say nothing, as in the people high up will not and the general public will just complain here and go on with their daily lives as normal.

tammy.bithell.1 - 2012-08-02 10:10

Politics! Thats exactly why i refuse to give any of my money to the government for tax. They screwed up once with me 3 years ago - still i havent received what they owe me, so now i dont bother anymore

Graham.Cooper2 - 2012-08-02 10:10

And no space in the jails so they stay free to ride this wonderful gravy train.

arthur.hugh - 2012-08-02 10:12

Gee... what a surprise.

khalidah.karan - 2012-08-02 10:22

This is messed up.I'm not working yet but my parents work their butts off.my dad leaves early in the morning and comes home late at night.nice to know where his hard earned money is going!

su.quinn.5 - 2012-08-02 10:13

Why am I not surprised?? An employee of mine has been waiting for her RDP house for almost 15 years now & this is why. My government disgusts me to the core & we are again highlighted as a bunch of thieves in the eyes of the world. What a joke.

luke.dekoker - 2012-08-02 10:47

Why call these thieves "My government"?? it only makes them feel great to hear people call them "My"

morama.sebata - 2012-08-02 10:14

I ran out of words,I so wish that south africans can open their eyes to see what how fast this f@@cked up ANC is running this country to it's knees.

shaylene.stenger - 2012-08-02 10:19

we have already, but when we say something we get labelled a rascist because we white and everything gets blammed on apartheid. Its people like you who needs to start speaking to your people.

donald.perumal - 2012-08-02 11:09

@Shalene Stenger
There is no such thing as "your people". As SAns this is our responsibility,the reason you are labelled as racist is precisely because of the way you think and there are others who have a similar attitude.We SAns can celebrate Chad and Cameron and yet we cannot tackle this "evil" as one nation!

Tony Lapson - 2012-08-02 11:13

I see morama talking about "South Africans" (poor/rich/black/white/coloured/Indian/Muslim/Chinese)
I see shaylene talking about black and white and telling morama, "YOU, talk to YOUR people."
Pointing it out for your own sake shaylene. This country won't get any better with emotionally fueled responses like yours.

wesley.bischoff - 2012-08-02 11:26

Exactly, it's not just black people
Look at that Mulder, he has spent R500,000 on flights.
Pathetic greedy f*ckers

shaylene.stenger - 2012-08-03 11:01

@wesley - the apple doesnt fall far from the tree, regardless whether he is black or white he is part of the anc in actual fact he is the deputy minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries? Im talking about the anc in general as a ruling party and unfortunatley the majority keep voting them in. @ Tony I don't need your pointing out thanks, im sure my friends or family would have mentioned something, i dont need a stranger to do that! And as for you @ Donald all i was trying to say was that there is a trust issue amongst people in this country. if i have to go and speak to a person of other colour about our current state of this country with the current goverment he/she will no doubt not listen to me because of what has happened in the past and build a wall up because they don't trust white people or they think we will try bring apartheid back. Our goverment right now is not doing anything in trying to reconcile, instead they continue to put fear into people and add more fuel to the fire which does not help us citizens of this country. If you want reconciliation, the example should start from the top so the rest of the nation can follow and right now that is not happening!!!!!

toddler.ras - 2012-08-02 10:15

Argh F*#k, nothing will be done to those responsible for the loss. Start with the head of the state.

shilulu - 2012-08-02 11:04

whhooo,they have to build a huge golf estate to lock them all up

JevonMarshallJohnson - 2012-08-02 10:16

Why am I not surprised.

marc.rule - 2012-08-02 10:17

Tell us something we dont know!

rhulani.khosa - 2012-08-02 10:17

R5bn??? This can’t be correct…R5bn was plundered in Limpopo alone in a year!!!! I would say about R50bn or more is looted

rhulani.khosa - 2012-08-02 10:17

R5bn??? This can’t be correct…R5bn was plundered in Limpopo alone in a year!!!! I would say about R50bn or more is looted

JevonMarshallJohnson - 2012-08-02 10:18

Im just waiting for some of the USUAL "comrades" that post crap here to come out and defend this.

Don.Tandy - 2012-08-02 10:19

Welcome to the crooked world of the ANC - rotten, corrupt and inept to the very core.
Anarchy Nepotism Corruption - business as usual.

Wally Walters - 2012-08-02 10:23

Rotten and disgraced to the core I hope the rest of the world is informed to see who and what is running the country shame on you

derrico.heus - 2012-08-02 10:20

A message for the cANCer. We know you are thieves, we know you are corrupt,we know you are liars.however we also know the sound of the clock that brings an end to you parasites . Tick tock tick tock.

shaun.cousins1 - 2012-08-02 10:53

they can't understand you....they are so clouded by corruption they have no vision....let alone education

frost.frost.980 - 2012-08-02 10:21

The Thing is I can easily build a Tender Management system, with all the levels of Approvals, Audit Trails and Statistical Reporting that can Prevent Such things from Happening. However in this Country you need 10 Years + experience to get into a position in "White" Corporate (No innovation, Stick to Old ways), and you need to have "Contacts" to get into Government. Lose Lose...

frost.frost.980 - 2012-08-02 10:24

Such a shame there's so many talented people out there that can make a huge difference but will never get a chance to do so cause of OLD ways and corruption